In Ft. Lauderdale, Craig Davis reports the Marlins will "return to Puerto Rico for the first time" since '10 for a two-game series against the Pirates on May 30-31. The May 31 game at San Juan's Hiram Bithorn Stadium "will celebrate Roberto Clemente Day." While the Marlins will "be the home team, meaning two fewer regular-season games at home" in '16, the club will have two exhibition games against the Yankees "added to spring schedule." All current season-ticket holders "will have the option to replace" the Pirates games with the Yankees exhibition games in their plans (South Florida SUN-SENTINEL, 11/20).
BLUE STATE : In Toronto, Bob Elliott reported Dodgers Senior VP/Baseball Operations Josh Byrnes has been mentioned as "being in the mix" to be the next Blue Jays GM. Byrnes has served as GM with the D-backs and Padres. Blue Jays President & CEO Mark Shapiro has identified Indians VP/Player Personnel Ross Atkins and interim GM Tony LaCava as two candidates he is "looking at." Elliott also noted that the team payroll "will not drop" to $100M (all figures U.S.) as "reported earlier and won't stay the same." Rather it "will possibly decrease" $10M or so from the $138M closing total last year (TORONTO SUN, 11/19).
WINDY FORECAST: In Chicago, Paul Sullivan noted the White Sox' "rebuild-in-progress ... already is casting a huge shadow" over the team. White Sox Senior VP & GM Rick Hahn last week said, "I put more pressure on myself than anybody, and that's not going to change." Sullivan noted Hahn "understands the work he has ahead of him." The White Sox "will move their radio broadcasts" to WLS-AM next year, though they are "seldom mentioned there." Asked to gauge the team's future TV plans, a chuckling Hahn said, "Yeah, let's talk about the Cubs more. ... And I get it. Look, they've been a great story. There's a lot of momentum and excitement about them right now. It's only natural that with that comes inquiry and interest. We need to get ourselves to that same point where you're bugging them about us" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 11/19).
MR. POPULAR: In Atlanta, Mark Bradley wrote Braves GM John Coppolella was "hired to do a job, and if his bosses didn't approve of what he's doing they wouldn't have handed him a contract" through '19. He has been "given something approaching carte blanche to remake these Braves, and he's obviously not afraid of exercising his imprimatur." But "saying he's tired of being criticized indicates that the guy who doesn't care about being popular cares about being popular" (AJC.com, 11/18).
